Subsurface Serpentinite Cores from the Coast Range Ophiolite Microbial Observatory Metagenome

The establishment of the Coast Range Ophiolite Microbial Observatory CROMO produced a long-term site for studying in situ serpentinization and a set of serpentinite core samples. The microbial communities of CROMO fluids are consistent with other sites of continental serpentinization, however preliminary analysis of 16S rRNA amplicon data from CROMO cores suggest there is a novel community of mineral-associated microbes within the serpentinite subsurface system and, based on taxonomy, that members of these communities may be involved in metabolisms not identified in CROMO fluids, such as methane and nutrient cycling. This study looks to address the metabolic potential of mineral-associated microbes within the serpentinite subsurface system through the use of comparative metagenomics by comparing data from two core samples with CROMO fluids and serpentinite soils. PI Katrina Twing, University of Utah